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What We Do

Animal Nepal’s Equine Welfare project in partnership with World Horse Welfare, is based in Hirminiya in Banke district. Most of the households in this village are equine owners and they largely rely on equine based livelihood. We work with about 30 households who own 50 equines between them. Most of the households are completely dependent on the income earned through their equines, which is usually pulling buggies and working in nearby brick kilns during the brick production season.

The community has a high illiteracy rate, with an estimated 73% of school age children have not been enrolled into schools. The women in the community are particularly isolated where more than 80% still don’t have a citizenship card and are wholly dependent on the men in their family. There is also a high rate of child marriage in the community, with most holding the belief that girls need to be married once they reach puberty.

In most cases, animals are mistreated due to the owners’ lack of knowledge and resources. Most of the injuries observed among equines in this community consisted of those caused by inadequate saddle and harness. Other common health issues found were colic, dehydration, diarrhea and lameness. We believe that a person’s access to information and improved financial status can have a direct influence on the treatment of animals under their care. In view of this, we help the community through carefully designed interventions such as needs-based medical treatment, skills-based livelihood training, education sessions on public health, train local veterinary service providers and school enrollment campaigns.